I wanted to first say that all of Clark's advice is excellent for anyone out
who is considering becoming a game publisher. A few more comments below...
----- Original Message -----
From: "Clark Peterson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Brad asked:
>
> "I was wondering if the commercial publishers would be
> interested in discussing the costs surrounding their
> publication efforts, and the stages they went through
> when developing a new product for publication?"
> Early on, however,
> Necromancer's goal was to have porduct on the shelf
> next to the WotC stuff. So if that is your goal, I
> hope these comments help.
Totally agree. And to emphasize, have a clear goal in mind before you begin
the process, and stick with it. If you do not, then your goal will easily
become lost in the myriad maze that begins to develop around you as you
address each of the issues that Clark discussed.
> Before I begin, aside from my comments, you will
> definately want to check out The Wizard's Attic. The
> guys there, Eric, Dustin, etc, are the best. The are a
> huge resource for small game publishers. I mention
> them numerous times below.
Ditto again. Wizard's Attic has been marvelous for us -- they will save you
alot of time and teach you alot of things you need to know.
Also, I would recommend contacting Mark Simmons of Games Quarterly Catalog.
He is also the executive director of GAMA. One of the things Mark and GQC
does, unbeknownst to most, is catalog all Company product code abbreviations
for the entire hobby industry (not just the game industry!). If you are
seeking national distribution, not only will you need ISBN numbers, you will
need a company product code abbreviation (example, Troll Lord Games is TLG,
and the product number would appear something like, "Dungeon Filled with
Monsters to Slay," TLG 5550 -- before anyone asks, that is not an actual
product, haha). Make sure to double-check with Mark, because if you do not,
you may assign a product code abbreviation to your line of products that is
already taken by some other company. If that happens, it will cause
confusion for the distributors and retailers as they try to order your
product and then keep track of what they have ordered.
Contact information:
Matthews-Simmons Marketing/GAMA's Executive Director
Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- and -- [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Another source to consider is Game Codex (www.gamecodex.com). Game Codex
has a nice gathering of manufacturer resources at their site, including
information and links to distributors and printers. Rpg.net does as well
(www.rpg.net ).
> 1. Content. You have to have manuscripts. So before you worry
> about incorporating, etc, get cranking on product.
> Remember, you cant get sued until you actually make
> something. So dont let incorporation concerns (or
> other business concerns) prevent you from starting up.
> There is no replacement for the
> sheer work of writing the product.
I just wanted to stress that Clark's advice on this is the capital T, truth.
I would go even further and recommend having at least 3 to 4 manuscripts
finished before you even begin the "business" aspect of the start-up.
> 4. Web site.
All of Clark's comments on this are great. Most of all, as he says, DO have
a website whether you pay for hosting or get it free. There are advantages
and disadvantages to both, depending on what you need. We started with free
web hosting, but after suffering from zero technical support and having our
site down periodically, we switched to a pay service and it has been
outstanding.
The people you are going to be dealing with
> are business people. Even though most are still cool
> gamers, they are in business to make money not to just
> "be cool" and agree to buy your stuff sight unseen.
Please take this advice to heart, it may be the most important piece of
advice in all of the invaluable advice Clark took the time to offer.
> 5. Printing.
Contact at least 10-20 printers before making a decision.
www.printindustry.com allows you to submit your specs for your product to a
nationwide network of printers who then contact you with their best offer to
print your product. Again, Eric at Wizard's Attic can recommend printers
and Game Codex has a list on their site as well.
> In addition to cost, you have to learn a whole new
> lingo, like "10 pt. c1s, and full bleed and 4 over 1
> process," which takes some time.
Yes it does. And I would recommend only going with a printer that is
willing to take the time to teach you a few things about it. If they are
not helpful in the beginning, just think of all the problems that might
result when you actually send your product to the presses.
> 6. Decision about scope of sales/ISBNs. Then you register them with this
R.R.
> Bowker outfit (friggin racket!). Here is the kicker:
> It cost $255 to get 10 (only 10!)
One thing that RR Bowker does not advertise very well on their site,
however, is that if you buy more ISBN numbers, the price per number drops
dramatically. While it is $255 for 10 numbers, it is only $500 for 100
numbers!
> 7. Licensure. Another possible up front cost. You need
> to check with your local city, county and state
> requrirments to see if being a game company (normally
> treated as a "publisher") requires you to get a
> business license, which is normally required even if
> you only work on your own computer in your own home.
Again though, until you are actually ready to publish your content, this is
an expense and worry that you need not tackle until you have good first
drafts of your products in hand.
> 9. Distributors/advertising.
Distribution -- contact Wizard's Attic.
Advertising -- do it wherever you can afford it!
> 11. Numbers and projections. We originally hoped to
> sell 3000 units over 6 months of Crucible of Freya
> (with the same projected numbers for other products)
> when we were using Wizard's Attic. Now, I think those
> numbers are low. Now that we are with WW/SSS, we did
> an initial print run of 10,000 and I can tell you on
> preorders alone those should be gone in a month with
> no problem. If I were still with Wizard's Attic, and
> had the money, I would do a 5000 initial print run.
> Talk about this with your distributors and partners,
> but right now d20 stuff is hot and I really think you
> can sell through that amount of product in 6 months.
> Plus, if you can afford to print 5000 units, your per
> unit cost is less and you wont have to do a reprint as
> quickly. But it ups your print expenditure to about
> $3600-4200 for 5000 units for a 32 page module.
I just wanted to throw in a word of caution here. Nothing negative to Clark
or White Wolf, but remember, as a new, small game company, unless you have a
lot of money to advertise, etc..., you do not have the Name Brand, Industry
Contacts, Reputation, Distribution Network, and on and on that White Wolf
has. So, adjust your initial print runs accordingly. Print enough product
to keep your price per unit down, but don't overprint yourself out of
business before you realize any return back on your first products.
> But the biggest cost is time. It is a significant
> commitment, particularly if you have a "significant
> other" and a day job (like I do). It is also one hell
> of a rush.
Yes, yes, yes, and yes. Estimate the amount of time you believe it will
take to run your company. Now quadruple it -- that's the real amount of
time it will take to do it right. It helps if you have at least one
partner.
> Enjoy! And feel free to email me privately if you have
> more questions.
Same here.
Best,
Mac Golden
Troll Lord Games
www.trolllord.com
